Be Still - January 2, 2023

Proverbs 30: 8, 9 “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” (NIV)

A good father doesn’t necessarily give his children everything they think they want.*

Who has ever been bold enough to utter this prayer for moderation? We may be properly grateful for God’s gracious provision but do we dare to ask him to give us only what we need? Most of us don’t realize that when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he was leading them down this very path. “Give us our daily bread,” he instructed them to say. (Matthew 6: 11)

Like Paul, I can say that I know what it is to be in need as well as to have plenty (Philippians 4: 12). I have had seasons where my daily bread was all I had . . . or so I thought. I might not have had enough food in my pantry for tomorrow but I had more than one set of clothes; a car (though I may not have had more than a day’s supply of gas); health; a supportive family; a roof over my head (although that was iffy on one occasion).

Each of us is tempted in different ways and by different enticements. The writer of this proverb was concerned that poverty might lead him to steal. In my lean days, I was more tempted to despair than to thievery. The writer also expressed fear that having too much would lead him to forget God. My temptation in days of plenty is similar to his: I don’t forget God but I neglect him. What are your personal temptations when faced with poverty or plenty?

Perhaps we aren’t bold enough to pray that God will bless us moderately, but again we find Jesus speaking on the subject in his model prayer: “Lead us not into temptation.”(Matthew 6: 13) When you ask for your daily bread and for deliverance from temptation, you may be echoing this proverb. 

This is the most dangerous trial of all, when there is no trial and everything goes well; for then a man is tempted to forget God, to become too bold and to misuse times of prosperity.*